Apparatus for treating petroleum derivatives.



H. B. SETZLER.

A APPARATUS FOR TREATTNG PETROLEUM DERIVATIVES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT 29.1915.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. B. SETZLER. APPARATUS FOR TREATING PETROLEUM DERIVATIVES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. 1915- l,292,966, Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JEN/"P27211713- 117520522 Saigfez:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE 1B. SETZLER, 0F COFFEYVILLE, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL REFINING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION 01? DEC.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING PETROLEUM DERIVATIVES.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Q Application filed October 29, 1915. Serial No. 58,720.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE B. SE'IZLER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cofleyville, in the county of Montgomery and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Petroleum Derivatives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for treating petroleum derivatives, and more particularly to such apparatus as is adapted for the'pressure distillation of those hydrocarbons havinrelatively high boiling points. In such istillation, carbon necessarily is separated out from the compound under treatment, and new hydrocarbons are formed, which are conducted forth in the guise of gases and liquids. It is primarily the object of my invention, to prevent any material deposit of such carbon upon the heated bottom sheets of the still or container, used for practising such pressure distillation.

My invention has for a further object, the continuing conduct or operation of the process, by reason of roviding pressure apparatus for intermittently supplying additional volumes of the hydrocarbons to be treated, and pressure condensing apparatus for liquefying the-newly formed hydrocarbon products. This operation may be automatically'conducted, although the apparatus which is herein shown, is designed for manual actuation.

The accompanying drawings set forth, somewhat diagrammatically, apparatus embodying my invention, wherein Figure 1 is a=diagrammatic view in side elevation, partially broken away, showing apparatus adapted for the practice of my invention, and

Fig. 2 is a similar view in end elevation.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section, partially broken away, showing the pressure still and its agitating or scrap ingr apparatus. I ig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of said still.

Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing a modification thereof, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating another modification. I

Fig. 7 1s a fragmentary sectional view upon an enlarged scale illustrating the use 'ing off the products of combustion.

oftiwo sets of abrading chains upon the helico1 Throughout the drawings, similar parts are indicated by the same character of reference.

In Fig. 1, a brick-inclosed furnace is shown, wherein the firing-chamber 1, is separated by the bridge wall 2, from the combustion chamber 3, from which a flue 4, leads to a stack 5, for the purpose of carlryhe furnace is provided with a firing door 6, through which fuel is passed into the furnace, while the heat. from combustion, is

applied to the bottom of the cylinder-still 7, which is set over and supported by front and rear end walls, of the furnace and the combustion chamber. The still is provided with manhole 8, a pressure gage 9, and a thermometer (not shown). A charging inlet pipe 10, enters the still at its top, near the front end; the charging being controlled by valve 11 through which oil is pumped by means of pump 12, receiving its supply from a tank (not shown). A vapor line 13, leaves the still near its rear end, and leads to a condenser-box 14, which contains condensing coils 15, and beyond the condenser box is a valve 16, connected to a pipe leadin to the receiving tank 17; the urpose 0 which equipment is to carry ofi condense and receive the products which distil over. The still 7, is equipped with a rotating shaft -18, mounted in water-cooled stufling boxes 19, and fitted with a pulley wheel 20. Inside the still, there is attached to the shaft, a helicoidal cleaner 21, of such'diameter and length as to engage the entire heated inner periphery of the still 7. At the front and rear ends of said shaft respectively, are water pipes, 22, 22, leading from a source (not shown), and entering passages drilled in the ends of the shaft 18, a distance equal at least, to the length of the shaft inside 0 the stuffing boxes. Adischarge pipe 23, is attached to the still at its bottom, near the rear end, to which is connected outlet pipe 24, leading to valve 25, to a second condensing box 26, and thence through the pipes 27, inside the box, and out through a valve 28, to a receiving tank 29. A motor 30' furnishes the power for driving the pulley v wheel .20, connected to shaft 18.

may well be described in connection with the 7 treatment of gas oil, and it may be assumed that the-pressure-still 7 is charged approximately to one-half its capacity, with such oil, after which, valves 11, 16 and are closed. Power is turned on the motor connected with gear wheel 20, which revolves pounds, the temperature will have risen to approximately 730 F., at which temperature and pressure, carbon begins to split 03 from the heated hydrocarbons; thereby producing new hydrocarbon compounds dissimilar from the mass of gas oil, and havin boiling points of 80 to 350 F., and a aum gravity'of 56 to 58 B. It will be evident to those skilled in the art, that compounds having boiling points of 80 to 350 F., cannot,

' by reason of their inherent physical properties, remain in the still at the temperature referred to, hence they are permitted to pass out through the vapor line 13, and are con densed in the coil 15, and thence conducted to the tank 17 by control of the valve 16.

I have found that without the use of suitable cleaning, scraping, scouring or agitating means, carbon, at the instant it is freed from its previous combination; being of amorphous character, and settling out of the mass of gas oil, seems to be attracted,

or drawn to the heated bottom still sheets. Normally, these particles of carbon growing together and agglomerating over the bottom sheet, form a coating ofcarbon, of semicrystalline form, which would have v the dangerous results hereafter explained. By using a helicoid cleaner, continuously revolvmg inside the still, and engaging the heated section of inner periphery of the cylinder, or its equivalent, the carbon which has been freed from its combination, is kept a in an amorphous'condition, and suspended throughout the mass of oil. Any carbon, which by chance is attracted or becomes at-.

tached to the bottom, can not remain there, because the blade of the helicoid engaging on the bottom, sweeps the particles of carbon away in its course of travel.

In other apparatus for pressure distilla tion, with which I am acquainted, no adeuate provision is afi'orded for the elimination of the difficulty residing in the accumulation of carbon. Normally, this carbon becomes firmly attached to the bottom sheets of the still, in increasing quantities, until and a correspon menace a suflicient ,layer thereof, has accumulated to make the operation of the still unsafe. This is because of the fact that the carbon inner coating, acts as a heat-.;,insulator, so that the bottom plates will become dangerously overheated, thereby contributing to the destruction of the still, and its contents. Accordingly, it is necessary, in any 'continuing process of pressure distillation, to make provision against this danger, and this I have accomplished by the agitating, scouring and scraping means already described, and further detailed in the specification.

It is also app rent that with a still working under the conditions of pressure and heat necessary to effect pressure distillation of hydrocarbons, utmost precautions must be observed for maintaining the hermetic seal of the still. The vulnerable point or points I of the still herein described, exist in the shaft entering the still at its longitudinalaxis. Obviously, this shaft must have an extremely efiective packin maintained at all times, within the stu ng boxes, in order to prevent excessive leakage,'yet the packing would be subjected normally, to such high temperatures, as would rapidly deteriorate the material thereof. Accordingly, I have provided the simply watercooling means found in the terminally-bored shaft 18, which enteringthe stufling boxes .19, at either end is maintained in relatively cool condition at all times, by the internal flow of water from pipes 22, 22', positioned. minteriorly of the bored shaft terminals. The details of this feature, and the helicoidal.

agitator and cleaner, are well shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

In order that the cooperation of the additional apparatus herein shown, may be understood, I may now refer to the possibility of operatin continuously therewith. After the descri ed operation has progressed, until approximately 10% of the volume of gas oil charged .into the still, has been converted vinto other products boiling between 80 to 350 F., and the Baum gravity of said products is found to range from 56 to 58 13., as indicated by the hy- 115v drometer on samples taken from the end of. the pipe entering tank 17, the pump 12 is started. Gas Oil thus is continuously pumped in through the line 10,- regulated by and through valve 11, entering thestill at the front end, at the same time thenew products referred to, are conducted off through the vapor line. Any convenient device may be used, such as meters 30, 31, to establish the ratio of a constantquantity of gas oil, entering the still at the front end, ing vquantity of similar products passin off, and collecting in the receiving tank 1%.; i Having established the quantity entering and leaving the still, the operation is con tinued until approximately 50% of the volume has been conducted off, when the oil in the still will have reached approximately 24 Baum gravity; The valve 25,,connected operated for the purpose of drawing off the contents, either continuously or periodically; measuring itthrou h a meter 32, after the liquid has passed t rough the coils 27, submerged in the cooling box 26.

The liquid condensed and collected in tanks 17, may be distilled in the ordinary manner, primarily for its gasolene content, while the heavier distillates therefrom, may be mixed with the contents of tank 29, and re-introduced into the still, for further treatment, if desired, after the carbon has been allowed to settleout. Connected at 33, is an automatic mechanism, which may be used for controlling the continued practice of the prescribed process, but 'as these steps form no part of my invention, they need has helicoidal blade.

not be further referred to herein.

It is apparent that the mechanism provided, serves continuously to agitate the contents of the still, and such agitation, moreover, is coupled with the repeated scouring and scraping of the bottom of said still; all of which contribute to the retention of the carbon in its amorphous form, and prevent its adherence to the bottom plates of said still. In addition, thereto, the helicoidal blade 21, may be formed of copper or copper alloy, instead of steel, and may be substituted or augmented by chains or brushes of any material, adapted to afiord catalytic action, and therefore promote the chemical re-actions within the still.

It will be observed that the shaft 18, in Figs. 3 and 4, is slightly eccentric with respect to the axis of the still 7. This is de signed to relieve a large portion of the inner periphery from unnecessary friction and serapingaction, through the rotation of the Moreover, this blade 21, is somewhat loosely mounted upon the arms 18, so that there is permitted sufiicient play Other means afforded in the brushes .35,

arranged in staggered relation upon opposite sides of the helicoidal blade, are indicated in the-larger fragmentary view, Flg.

6; which brushes are adapted to scour the inner surface of the still, and assist the blade in removing the deposits of any and all nature from the inner periphery thereof. by a pipe to the discharge pipe on the bottom, near the rear end of the still, is then Various modifications, of the apparatus herein specifically described and shown, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, which I desire to protect, together with all such modifications as may be made by mere skill. The process used for explaining the operation of my improved apparatus, is novel, and protection therefor is sought in my application for patent, Serial No. 57,358, filed October 22nd, 1915.

Having now described an apparatus embodying my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following 1. In apparatus of the class described, the combinatlon with a sealed cylindrical pressure-still, of a longitudinal shaft extending interiorly of the still, and a rotary abrading member loosely mounted for actuation by said shaft and having a portion thereof in continuous engagement with the bottom sheets of the still; said still being set substantially in horizontal position to permit the abrading member to bear upon the bottom of the still, substantially as set forth.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a sealed cylindrical pressure-still, of a longitudinal shaft extending box, a shaft extending through said stufiing-- box interiorly of the still and terminally bored beyond the stuffing-box, a pipe extending within said bore beyond the stuffing-box and a water supply connected with said pipe for cooling the end of the shaft within the stuffing-box, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a horizontally supported cylindrical pressure still, of a shaft eccentrically positioned with respect to the axis of the still, and a helicoidal member approximating the full inner diameter of said still and mounted interiorly thereof upon the shaft in engagement with, and bearing constantly upon the bottom sheets of the still, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a horizontal cylindrical pressure still, of a shaft eccentrically mounted with respect to the axis of the still, a helicoidal member approximating the diameter of the still and positioned interiorly thereof, and driving members upon the shaft loosely connected with said helicoidal member, adapted to rotate the same in engagement with the bottom sheets ofthe still, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a horizontal, cylindrical pressure-still presenting an even interior bore, of a horizontal shaft extending interiorly of said still, and a rotatable abrading-member approximating the inner diameter of the still and bearing upon its bottom sheets, mounted for actuation by said shaft, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a horizontall; positioned, cylindrical pressure-still presenting an even interior bore, of a horizondiameter and length of the still, and driving parts upon said shaft loosely connecting the scouring-member for actuation upon the bottom sheets of the still, substantially as set forth.

Intestimony whereof I do now affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HORACE B. SETZLER. [L.s.] 

